For non-programmers, a first look at ScraperWiki’s code could be a bit scary, but we want journalists and researchers to make use of the site, so we’ve set up a variety of initiatives to do that.

Firstly, we’re setting up a number of Hacks and Hacker Days around the UK, with Liverpool as our first stop outside of London. You can follow this blog or visit our eventbrite page to find out more details.

Secondly, our programmers are teaching ScraperWiki workshops and classes around the UK.

The presentations were concluded by Francis Irving, developer for ScraperWiki, who outlined how they can help journalists transform confusing data into a newsworthy story. He showed two examples of datasets the company can ‘scrape’ data from, producing more accessible tables or even visualisations such as maps, saving journalists’ time.